


"thanks, hope to see you again"

by newtedison



Category: The Maze Runner (Movies), The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types, The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Pizza Place, Christmas Fluff, F/F, Fast Food, M/M, Modern Era, Mutual Pining, Oblivious, POV Alternating, Pizza, Texting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:47:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 16,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28053426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/newtedison/pseuds/newtedison
Summary: Thomas and Brenda work nights together at the local fast food joint. They both find themselves falling for customers over the course of a year; Newt, who comes through almost every night for coffee, and Teresa, who trades food from her job at the pizza place down the road.
Relationships: Newt & Thomas (Maze Runner), Newt/Thomas (Maze Runner), Teresa Agnes & Brenda (Maze Runner), Teresa Agnes/Brenda (Maze Runner)
Comments: 28
Kudos: 83
Collections: Maze Runner Secret Santa 2020





	1. January

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sulfuric](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sulfuric/gifts).



> This gift is for 00250 aka Jamie, who is one of my absolute favorite people in this fandom. She has created so many great things and is such a beacon of positivity and humor that I was so happy I could fulfill one of her wishes this year. I hope she has as much fun reading this as I had writing it. Merry  
> Christmas, Jamie!

Thomas pulled his gear shift into park, feeling the car settle underneath him. His hand lingered on the shift for a few moments, his eyes gazing down, unfocused. He finally looked up to his destination, a light flickering of snowflakes dancing across his windshield. The bright neon sign of his employment hurt his eyes against the fading background of the night.

It was the first week after his brief vacation away from work to enjoy the holidays with his family. Now it was his least favorite time of year, when all of the romanticization and splendor of winter had faded, and the curtain had been pulled back to reveal the reality of the season; a drab, cold, and gray landscape where everyone was grumpy and silent. It was criminal that winter had the audacity to exist once the holidays ended. It was even worse that Thomas now had to go back to work, and, in a few days, back to his classes at community college.

It was the longest time of the year. Dragging, the trace of the holidays slowly dying as Christmas decorations were taken off houses and gifts were placed in the clearance racks of stores. Waiting, impatiently, for the world to thaw. Nothing to look forward to. Nothing to be excited for.

Or so he thought.

As soon as he walked through the front doors of [copyright free fast food place of employment], he saw Brenda pick her head up from where she was sitting on the counter. Unsanitary and against the rules, of course, but as long as their manager, Alby, wasn’t looking up at the cameras, it was no problem. Brenda gave a relieved smirk when she saw him.

“Thank fuck,” she sighed. “I was about to stick my head in the fryer.”

“What, busy night?” Thomas asked as he took off his jacket and started wrapping an apron around his waist.

“Not even close. It’s dead. It’s just been me and Fry for the last hour.”

“Thomas, you gotta come try this!” Frypan yelled from the kitchen. “They gotta put this on the menu.”

Thomas walked over to the counter, his stomach growling in anticipation of whatever Frypan managed to salvage out of their shitty ingredients.

“What is it?” he asked.

“A quesadilla,” Frypan replied. “I used the tortilla from our wraps with the grilled chicken and shredded cheese. Even threw in a little bacon.”

“Sounds great,” Thomas sighed. “I’m starved.” He popped up on the counter next to Brenda and grabbed a slice.

“So,” Brenda asked in-between bites of her own slice. “You ready for another wonderful year of closing together?”

“You think I’m gonna be here for a _year_?!” Thomas exclaimed. “No way I’m staying here past the summer.”

“You’ll still be here,” Brenda said confidently. “As long as I am.”

“Meh,” Thomas shrugged. “I don’t like you that much.”

Brenda shoved Thomas, nearly knocking him off the counter. “Fuck you.”

Thomas laughed as he adjusted his balance. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding. Honestly, you’re the only reason I don’t go insane. It’s like Groundhog’s Day around here. The same shit every day, just in slightly different flavors.”

“Well, maybe that’s--” Brenda suddenly stopped talking, sighing before tapping a button on her headset. “Hi, this is Brenda, what do you want?” There was a brief pause before her eyes widened. She turned to Thomas and mouthed ‘He’s British.’ Intrigued, Thomas reached behind him and popped on a headset, turning up the volume.

“--medium, with no cream or sugar,” Thomas heard the voice say. He _was_ British. Not only was this a fun departure from the mundane, but his voice was actually quite nice, and charming. Thomas kept listening.

“Anything else?” Brenda asked as she walked over to the register, tapping on the touch screen.

“No, thank you,” the voice replied.

“Okay, that’ll be $1.08,” Brenda explained. “Last window, please.” She turned towards Thomas. “I’ll make the coffee, you take the money.”

Normally, Thomas would have complained; he much preferred making drinks to interacting with customers. But a British customer was something interesting, at least, so he nodded and walked over to the window.

Thomas was looking at the register as he heard the car roll up. He started reading the order.

“Hi, you had the black coff-”

Thomas turned and stopped talking once he saw who was driving the car. Not only did this guy have a nice voice, but he was possibly one of the most beautiful boys Thomas had ever seen. He had golden blonde hair, which curled perfectly around his face. His eyes were bright even in the dark night sky. If you had told Thomas this guy was a prince, he would have believed you.

“-ffe,” Thomas stuttered out. “The black coffee. Sorry.”

The boy gave a slightly amused smile. “Yeah, that’s me.”

Thomas felt his cheeks heating up, both by the embarrassment of him stuttering and the nervousness he felt around such a cute guy. It wasn’t often that he found customers attractive, mostly because the act of them being customers automatically made them unattractive in his eyes. But this guy was an exception, apparently.

“It’s, uh, $1.08.”

“Here you go.” The boy handed a bill and some change to Thomas, who struggled not to drop it. Thomas looked down at the bill, about to put it into the register when something caught his eye. He looked down at it again.

“Hey, uh,” he turned back towards the customer. “I think this is a...euro? Or something?”

The customer laughed, a sweet and light sound. “Oh, sorry. I just got back from holiday last night. Must have mixed it up.”

“It’s alright, man,” Thomas shrugged, handing the customer back the dollar.

“Let me just…” the boy started, reaching into his wallet. He furrowed his brows for a moment. “Shit.”

“Hm?” Thomas hummed.

“I think I left all my dollars at home. Shit, I’m sorry.”

“Oh,” Thomas murmured. He thought for a moment, glancing at the cup sitting on the counter. He picked it up, holding it out the window. “Here. Just take it. It’s only a dollar.”

The customer looked at the cup, eyeing it with apprehension. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

“Trust me, this is tame compared to the stunts I usually pull around here,” Thomas smirked. He moved his arm forward slightly. “Just take it. No biggie.”

The customer paused for a moment before smiling, grabbing the cub from Thomas.

“Thanks, mate. I’ll get you back next time.”

 _Next time,_ Thomas thought with excitement.

“For sure,” he nodded, containing himself.

“I’ll remember, um…” The customer looked down at Thomas’ nametag. “Thomas.”

Thomas looked down at his nametag, then back to the customer. “Right. That’s me.”

The customer put down his coffee and reached his hand out the window.

“I’m Newt. Nice to meet ya.”

Thomas shook his hand. It felt weirdly fitting against his own.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Thanks for the coffee,” Newt repeated. “See you around.”

“See you,” Thomas replied, watching as Newt drove off. He saw some bumper stickers on the back of his car, but couldn’t read them in the dark.

Thomas stood by the window for a few moments, thinking about the interaction he had just had. He had some customers he liked talking to, sure, but he didn’t know any of their names. It was weird to know a customer’s name.

“What was that all about?” Brenda asked. “He didn’t pay.”

Thomas snapped out of his trance and turned around.

“Oh, yeah. He only had British money on him. Said he just got back from vacation, so. I just comped it.”

“Ooh, you’re gonna get in trouble,” Brenda mocked. “A whole dollar coffee, how is this multi-million dollar corporation gonna handle it?!”

“I know,” Thomas shook his head. “I’ve practically made us bankrupt.”

Brenda laughed. “You did it cause he was cute, right?”

“Dude,” Thomas said. “So cute. I could barely fucking talk to the guy.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. But he told me his name. Newt.”

Brenda scrunched her nose. “What? That’s a horrible name.”

“I know.”

“What if it’s fake?”

Thomas shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t see the point of that, though.”

“For his case, I hope it’s fake. Now come on, let’s give our dirty dishes to Fry before he invents a new type of pizza, or something.”

***

_N: something weird just happened_

_T: like a good weird or a bad weird_

_N: good? i think?_

_T: ok, spill_

_N: i went to get a coffee and all i had were pounds, so the guy just let me have it for free_

_T: thats not weird, thats just nice lol_

_N: i guess. ive never had that happen to me before_

_T: you’ve never had someone be nice to you before?_

_N: not that, you twat_

_T: well now i’m not gonna be nice to you_

_N: whats the difference_

_T: ha ha very funny. was the guy at least cute_

_N: very cute. he also seemed a little jumpy_

_T: jumpy?_

_N: ya, like, he was just a ball of pent up energy_

_T: sounds like the opposite of your type_

_N: i actually kind of liked it_

_T: really?_

_N: surprisingly_

_T: well next time he gives you something for free, get something for me, too_


	2. February

Not only did winter have the audacity to exist after the holiday season ended, but it also had the audacity to include one of the worst holidays of all; Valentine’s Day.

“Why are we even getting customers?” Thomas complained as he threw some fries into a bag. “Shouldn’t everyone be going out to eat? Or cooking something romantic at home?”

“We’re getting all the single people,” Brenda joked as she made an ice cream cone. “You know, eating their sadness away.”

“Hey, I’m one of them,” Thomas said as he popped a fry into his mouth.

“I don’t know,” Brenda dragged out, slowly walking towards the window. “You and that Newt guy seem to be getting along pretty well.”

Thomas starts coughing on his fry. “Me and--what?”

“Thanks, have a good one,” Brenda turned back to Thomas. “I mean, he’s been coming here a few times a week for the past month. And he sits at the window for way longer than he needs to for one coffee. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”

Thomas blushed, hiding his face in the fry station. “You know how it is with customers. They can be chatty.”

“But you _hate_ talking to customers. Every time you walk away after he leaves, you have this big, stupid smile on your face.”

Thomas rolled his eyes. “Well, I told you already that he’s cute. I just get a little nervous. It doesn’t matter.”

“Why shouldn’t it?”

“Because he’s a customer. And I don’t actually know him. And for all I know, he’s probably straight.”

“Mm, I don’t think so. He dresses too nicely.”

“That’s a gross stereotype. I’m bi, and I dress terribly.”

“You dress better than any straight man I know. For one, I’ve never seen you in khakis.”

“Okay, fair point.”

Brenda opened her mouth to speak when the phone started ringing.

“Can you get that?” Alby yelled from somewhere in the back. “My arms are full.”

Brenda picked up the phone, Thomas walking away to finish bagging an order.

“No, _you_ called _me_ …” Thomas heard Brenda say as he placed a sandwich in the bag. He watched her scrunch her eyebrows in confusion before he moved towards the window with the bag.

Ten minutes later the rush was finally over, Thomas wiping his forehead as he relaxed against the counter. He looked over at Brenda, who was smiling as she continued to talk on the phone. She had tried to help by occasionally handing Thomas a straw, but for the most part, she seemed to be in her own world. Thomas had never seen her like this before, and although he was annoyed at having to tackle the rush alone, he couldn’t help but be curious as to what had Brenda so happy.

A few minutes after that, Brenda hung up the phone. She turned to Thomas with a look of disbelief.

“Care to explain?” Thomas asked, folding his arms.

“We got pranked.”

“Oh?”

“Yup. Have you seen that TikTok going around where you call one store, and then you do some backdoor shit to call another store, so then the two stores are just talking to each other?”

“No, but I’m guessing that’s what happened?”

“Yup. It was this girl named Teresa. She works at the pizza place down the road.”

“The one next to the laundromat?”

“That’s the one.”

“Oh, I love that place. Shit. Now I want pizza.”

“Well, you’re in luck. She just had a customer cancel an order, so she said she would bring us the pizza if we give her some nuggets.”

Thomas’ eyes widened in excitement. “For real?”

“For real.”

Thomas smiled. “Okay. I forgive you for not helping me now.”

Brenda smirked. “Thought you would.”

Thomas worked on his closing duties as he waited for the pizza, getting lost in his routine as he wiped down the stainless steel counters. Eventually, he heard the sound of the front door creaking open. He turned to see Brenda look up in excitement.

“Hey,” Thomas heard a voice speak from the lobby. “Are you Brenda?”

Thomas walked forward so he could see who was speaking. There was a girl, likely around their age, standing in the lobby, a box of pizza resting on her hip. She had smooth, pale skin, a flush of pink on her cheeks from the cold. Her skin contrasted against her dark hair, strung up in a ponytail underneath her work visor. She had a light sprinkling of freckles across her nose, and her expression while she waited for Brenda’s answer was one of cautious curiosity. Thomas, somehow, could instantly tell that they would get along.

Not just because she was bringing him pizza.

“Yeah,” Brenda smiled, swinging her legs from where she sat on the counter. “That’s me.”

There was a moment of silence, the two of them just smiling at each other. Thomas looked between the two of them, laughing to himself. He spoke up to break the silence.

“I’m Thomas,” he announced. “I also work here.”

“I can see that,” Teresa nodded. “Good thing there’s enough here for two of you.” She lifted the pizza box in her hands.

“FOUR!” Frypan yelled from the kitchen. “Don’t forget me and Alby, y’all.”

Teresa laughed. “Okay, four.”

“That was Fry,” Brenda pointed behind her. “Our wannabe Gordon Ramsey.”

“That’s not true,” Frypan argued. “I’m better.”

Teresa laughed again.

“I’ve got your nuggets,” Brenda mentioned, grabbing a bag in the heating tray next to her. She stood up and walked forward, placing it on the counter. “Do you want any sauce? A drink? Maybe some fries?”

“I wouldn’t mind some barbeque,” Teresa admitted.

“Sure.” Brenda grabbed a more than generous handful and tossed them in the bag. “That enough?”

Teresa chuckled nervously. “That’s, uh, plenty. Thanks.” She placed the pizza box on the counter next to her bag. “Here’s my end of the deal.”

Thomas excitedly rushed over to the pizza box, lifting it up to look inside. It was a half pepperoni, half sausage pizza.

 _Weird_ , he thought. _Brenda’s vegetarian_. He shook it off as he picked up a sausage slice for himself.

“Fry, you want sausage or pepperoni?”

“Both,” Frypan replied.

Thomas took the pizza box and walked over to the grill, leaving Brenda and Teresa talking behind him. He let them be as he placed Frypan’s slices on a platter and sent them to him. Then he walked to Alby’s office, leaning against the doorframe as he popped open the box.

“Surprise,” he chirped. “You want some?”

Alby swiveled in his chair, raising an eyebrow at the pizza. “You guys ordered pizza?”

“Not exactly. More like we were gifted.”

Alby eyed the pizza some more, seemingly weighing the decision of questioning Thomas further or simply enjoying the pizza. He shrugged and went with the latter, taking a pepperoni slice for himself.

“Thanks,” he hummed before taking a bite.

Thomas smiled, walking back up to the front. He waited for a moment, watching Brenda and Teresa talk. He couldn’t see Brenda’s face, but Teresa was all smiles, nodding enthusiastically and laughing occasionally. After a few moments, he walked fully up front, starting to eat his own pizza.

“-and, uh, happy Valentine’s Day,” Teresa said. Thomas looked over and saw she had a shy smile on her face.

“Same to you,” Brenda replied.

Teresa smiled and waved, making brief eye contact with Thomas as she left the store with her food.

Brenda stood at the counter for a few moments before turning to Thomas, who had been waiting patiently. He smirked when she saw him.

“So,” he started between bites. “You a meat eater now?”

“Oh, shut up,” she snarked.

***

_T: i finally got some free food of my own_

_N: congratulations. tell me more_

_T: the store got prank called so that i was talking to that fast food place down the road, and we traded food_

_N: wont u get in trouble for that_

_T: not really. im too valuable_

_N: thats true_

_T: i’m probably gonna do it again. i love me some free nuggets_

_N: me too *wink*_

_T: you never brought me anything. no food for you_

_N: aww :(_

_T: you get free coffee from there, you cant complain_

_N: i can and i will. i was born to complain_

_T: and i was born to be cursed by it, i guess_


	3. March

“Okay, here’s your Diet Coke,” Thomas said as he handed the drink out the window. “Aaaaand your number 9 meal. You’re all set, man, have a good one.”

“Thank you, sir,” the older man said from his truck. “This is for you.” He holds what looks like a little book out in his hand. Thomas took it without really looking, hoping to get him out of the drive-thru as quickly as possible.

“Uh, thanks,” Thomas murmured. “Have a nice night.” He smiled and shut the window, pretending like he was doing something important as he watched the man drive away out of the corner of his eye. Once the man was gone, Thomas looked at what had been given to him.

“Damn it,” he huffed. “I was hoping it’d be a tip.”

“What’s that?” Brenda asked, walking over.

Thomas lifted up the book in his hands; the title read _100 Ways to Avoid Sin; Ensure You Go to Heaven Today!_

“Oh, man,” Brenda sighed, a hint of amusement in her voice. “Who’s gonna tell him?”

“Tell him what?”

“That we both sailed that ship a long time ago.”

Thomas laughed. “That’s true.”

He was about to keep speaking when he heard the chime on his headset alerting him of a customer. He turned on his mic.

“Hi, this is Thomas, what can I get you?”

“Hey, Tommy,” Newt’s familiar voice chimed. “How’s it going?”

“ _Tommy?_ ” Brenda whispered. Thomas shooed her away, a blush forming.

“It’s going alright,” Thomas replied. “Just got a gift from a customer.”

“Really?” Newt inquired. “What of?”

“I’ll show you at the window.”

“Sounds good.”

Thomas turned off his mic as he heard Newt drive ahead. Thomas poured Newt’s coffee, placing it on the counter. He opened the window.

“Hey there,” he greeted, trying to sound casual.

Newt smiled back. “Hello yourself.”

Thomas handed out the coffee. “Ready to see what I got?”

“I’ll die if I don’t find out.”

Thomas pulled the book out of his pocket, holding it up like a prize in a game show. “Ta-da.”

Newt squinted slightly as he read the title, then laughed when he finished. “Oh, wow. Someone gave that to you?”

“Yup, right before you got here.”

“Wow,” Newt repeated. “That’s a once-in-a-lifetime gift, right there.”

“This happens more often than you’d expect, actually. One time I got a fake dollar bill that had some Scripture on it. That was the worst one.”

Newt flinched. “That’s cold.”

“I know.”

“Well, at least now you can ensure you’ll go to heaven. That’s...nice, I guess.”

“Eh, I doubt I’m going there. I don’t think I qualify.”

Something shifted in Newt’s expression, but Thomas couldn’t exactly tell what.

“Hey, uh,” Newt started, half chuckling. “Me, either. Probably because-”

“HEY!!!!” a voice suddenly screamed from the passenger seat as they shot upright from their hiding spot. Thomas yelped and jumped back.

“Jesus fucking Christ-” Thomas stammered.

“Wow, you’re definitely going to Hell now,” the voice said.

Thomas took a breath before looking at who spoke. It was a girl, maybe a year or two younger than Thomas. She had very light blonde hair, which trailed in two braids down to her shoulders. Her skin was pale, though not as pale as Teresa’s. She had a mischievous glint in her eyes. Newt rolled his eyes, though he was smiling.

“Sorry about that,” Newt apologized. “That’s my sister, Sonya. Bit of a nuisance.”

“You--you just let her hide there this whole time?” Thomas sputtered. “That’s so mean.”

Newt’s smile morphed into an equally mischievous grin. “I couldn’t help myself. I’m just glad she waited until I had gotten the coffee.”

“You’re on thin ice,” Thomas pointed jokingly. “Hi, Sonya. You’re _definitely_ not getting anything for free.”

Sonya pouted. “Oh, come on.”

“You put this on yourself.”

“Who’s that?” Brenda asked from behind. “I hear someone new.”

Thomas moved to the side so Brenda could fit beside him in the window.

“Bren, this is Sonya. Newt’s sister.”

“Hi, Sonya,” Bren greeted. “You’re the one who scared Thomas just now?”

Sonya nodded proudly. “Yes, I am.”

Brenda smirked. “Good. You want anything? It’s on the house.”

Thomas widened his eyes. “What? I just told her she couldn’t get anything!”

“And I’m telling her she can,” Brenda countered.

“I’ll take a Coke,” Sonya shrugged.

“Sure,” Brenda agreed, typing it into the drink machine. “It’s all yours.”

“Thanks, mate,” Newt chimed in. “I’m glad someone appreciates our sense of humor.”

“I’ll appreciate it when you prank her instead of me,” Thomas explained.

“That’s not gonna happen,” Sonya replied. “I’m a little scared of her.”

The group laughed, Brenda handing them the Coke. They said their goodbyes, Thomas turning around to continue cleaning when he felt Brenda’s hand slapping his side.

“Thomas! Look look look!”

Thomas quickly turned back to the window, but he couldn’t see anything. Confused, he looked back at Brenda.

“What?”

“It was finally light enough for me to see Newt’s bumper stickers.”

“Okay? And…”

“Dude, he’s gay.”

Thomas paused for a second in surprise.

“Huh?”

“Yeah. He has a rainbow bumper sticker. Well, among others, but that’s the most important one. He’s fucking gay, dude! He’s one of us! I knew it!”

Thomas thought for a moment, his anxiety and doubt getting the best of him, as usual.

“Maybe it’s Sonya’s car,” he pondered. “Or used.”

“If someone wasn’t gay, they probably would have removed it,” Brenda argued. “And if it’s Sonya’s, then she’s gay, so that’s still a win. But I think it’s his car.”

“He _was_ about to tell me about him going to Hell,” Thomas mentioned. “Do you think he was…”

“Going to come out to you? I mean, probably. You would have found out eventually.”

“Well, shit. Do I say something next time I see him?”

“You could tell him you’re bi. Hell, that _we’re_ bi. So he’ll feel safe here.”

“I don’t know how to bring that up casually. ‘ _Hey, here’s your coffee. By the way, I’m attracted to all types of people!_ ’”

“I don’t see why not.”

“Then why don’t you tell Teresa? Since it’s so easy.”

“Because I don’t know if she’s queer. At least with Newt we know we’re in safe territory.”

“I don’t know. I can see Teresa liking girls.”

“I’ve been let down by straight girls before, Thomas. I’m not getting my hopes up again.”

***

_N: i was about to do it and then lizzie decided that was the perfect moment to prank him_

_T: she really is a bastardly little monster_

_N: which normally i love, but the timing this round was terrible_

_T: i guess she didnt read the room_

_N: now i dont think ill be able to tell him_

_T: why not?_

_N: idk if i’ll have another chance. i cant just say it casually_

_T: maybe he’s already seen your bumper sticker?_

_N: oh fuck_

_T: what?_

_N: i forgot i had that_

_T: oh, newt_

_N: he already knows, doesnt he_

_T: he might not have seen it_

_N: oh god. this is so much worse_


	4. April

“That’s it! I can’t take it anymore,” Brenda growled as she angrily slammed her broom down. “This song is driving me crazy. I feel like I’m gonna fucking...foam at the mouth or something.”

“Ohhhh BAY BAY!” The radio in the lobby blasted. “Why don’t you just meet me in the middle?! I’m losing my mind, just a little. So why don’t you-”

“WHY DON’T YOU JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Brenda screeched.

“Easy, there,” Frypan said from the kitchen. “You want a grilled cheese? Might make you feel better.”

“The only thing that would make me feel better is if the radio would stop playing this song five times an hour,” Brenda grumbled, resuming to angrily sweeping. It was ineffective at best, and actively making the floor dirtier at worst. “It’s not even a popular song anymore.”

“I know what would make you feel better,” Thomas smirked as he filled up the napkins.

“What?!” Brenda snapped.

Thomas flinched, then continued. “A visit from our favorite pizza delivery gal.”

Brenda’s lips flashed the briefest of small smiles before returning to an angry grimace.

“She’s probably not coming,” she sighed. “I don’t think she works on Thursdays.”

“Never say never,” Frypan chimed.

As if on cue, the familiar creaking of the front door was heard. The three of them snapped their heads towards the sound, Brenda noticeably jumping a little in anticipation.

“Hey!” Brenda greeted, more enthusiastically than usual. “I wasn’t expecting--oh. It’s you.”

“Oh come on, don’t give me that,” Minho replied, placing a box of ice cream mix on the counter. “I’m the savior who brought you more ice cream.”

Minho worked at another location of their company, about 20 minutes away. Occasionally, the two stores borrowed supplies from each other, and Minho was always the one to deliver.

“Sorry,” Brenda replied, deflating slightly. “I thought you’d be someone else.”

“Whoever they are, I’m better,” Minho assured with a wink.

“You’d be better if you transferred here,” Thomas argued. “Just ask your managers already.”

“They’d never let me go. Besides…” He turned seductively towards Brenda. “I couldn’t work in the same store as you. I’d get fired for getting distracted by your beauty instead of doing my job.”

Brenda rolled her eyes. “Keep trying, Prince Charming. It’s not gonna work today.”

“How about tomorrow? I’m free.”

Brenda didn’t even blink. “Sorry, I’m booked.”

Minho sighed, disappointed but not surprised. “Damn. Maybe someday. You just wait; 50 years from now, you’ll realize I was the one who got away, and you’ll chase me down in an airport, begging me not to leave.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” Brenda remarked.

“But seriously,” Minho changed the subject. “Who did you think I was?”

“No one,” Brenda lied, avoiding eye contact. “Just a friend.”

Thomas couldn’t help but chuckle. Brenda turned to him, eyes narrowed.

“What’s so funny?” she asked.

“Oh, nothing, nothing,” Thomas said through his laughter.

Minho looked between the two of them in confusion. “What am I missing?”

“The fact that Brenda’s in love with the girl from the pizza shop down the road,” Thomas blurted out before Brenda could interrupt him.

“I’m not _in love_ \--how about you?! How about you and Newt, and how you talk for 20 minutes at the window every time he comes in?!”

“So?”

“So, you’re a hypocrite! Right, Minho?”

“Huh?” Minho hummed. “Sorry, I’m lost.”

“Just agree with me,” Brenda commanded.

“Okay,” Minho nodded. “You’re right.”

“Dude,” Thomas droned.

“Sorry,” Minho shrugged. “You know I’m whipped.”

Thomas rolled his eyes.

“But now you need to start explaining shit. What the fuck is a Newt? And the pizza girl…?”

“He’s--” Thomas said while Brenda said “She’s-”. They stopped and looked at each other.

“You go first,” Thomas gestured.

Brenda looked back at Minho. “We got prank called back in February, which connected us to the pizza shop. Me and the girl there started talking, and now when she has extra pizza, she comes here and trades them for nuggets.”

“How often does she have extra pizza?” Minho asked. “Seems like something that wouldn’t happen that frequently.”

Brenda thought for a moment. “A few times a week, I guess.”

Minho smirked in realization.

“Brenda, she doesn’t have extra pizzas. She’s definitely just bringing you pizza from the store.”

Brenda shook her head. “No way. She doesn’t seem like the type to bend the rules like that.”

“Are you sure?” Thomas chimed in. “I don’t think it’s that far-fetched.”

“Maybe,” Brenda replied. “But she wouldn’t do it for me. Or for the nuggets, I mean. That would be stupid.”

“It’s for you,” Minho assured. “If she’s half as attracted to you as I am, then I’m sure of it. I would do the same thing if I could.”

“Well,” Brenda said hesitantly. “I don’t think she is. I think you’re just saying that to make me feel better, cause you like to see me smile.”

Minho laughed. “Point taken. What about you, Thomas? Tell me about Newt.”

“You’d like him,” Thomas started. “He’s really funny. He has this dry sense of humor. Maybe because he’s British.”

“He’s British?”

“Yeah. I love his voice. He comes through for black coffee almost every night. We usually just sit and talk at the window.”

“And Thomas gives him the coffee for free,” Brenda snitched. “Cause he’s a simp.”

“I am NOT a simp,” Thomas retorted. “But yeah, he does get the coffee for free. It’s a dollar. He doesn’t even put anything in it.”

“Hmm,” Minho hummed as he thought. “It is possible that he’s using you for the coffee.”

Thomas frowned. “I’ve definitely thought of that possibility. A lot.”

“But,” Minho continued. “If he talks to you for that long, he probably does enjoy your company. Or at least, he should, if he’s smart.”

Thomas smiled. “Thanks.”

Minho’s phone chimed in his pocket. He pulled it out, reading a text before groaning.

“It’s my manager. I gotta get back. Do you guys have the large cups?”

“Yeah, right over here,” Thomas replied, handing the sleeves of them to Minho over the counter. “Thanks for the ice cream.”

“Any excuse to come and visit you guys,” Minho admitted. “You know, I think that’s a common theme for you two.”

***

_N: still havent told her, huh_

_T: listen. i am very confident in many aspects of my life. talking to pretty girls is not one of them_

_N: have you considered that you, too, are a pretty girl_

_T: ty. but brenda is. hnrg_

_N: its ok take ur time_

_T: pret yt girl_

_N: you can do it_

_T: ga y_

_N: ok now tell her that part_

_T: its not that easy. i dont have a bumper sticker to do it for me_

_N: well, you do have some pride pins_

_T: are you suggesting i just casually wear those at work_

_N: not at work. but maybe put one on before you see her_

_T: i dont know. that seems so forward_

_N: just think about it_


	5. May

“He lines up the shot,” Frypan narrated. “Could this be what it takes for him to win the championship?”

Thomas stared intently at the garbage can a few feet away, a scrunched-up paper bag in his hand. He shot the bag into the air, landing smoothly in the garbage can. He pumped his fist in the air in victory.

“And he scores!” Frypan cheered. “Looks like he’s taking home the gold!”

“Thomas, now that you’ve won the championship, what are you gonna do next?” Brenda asked, holding an invisible microphone to Thomas’ mouth.

“I’m going to Disney World!” Thomas yelled.

“Actually,” Alby interrupted, revealing himself from the hallway. “You’re going to my office. I need to talk to you.”

All the joy in the room immediately faded; Alby wasn’t one to often reprimand, so the serious tone in his voice was jarring. Thomas’ heart spiked with anxiety.

“Can I go to Disney after?” he joked, trying to test the mood.

Alby gave the smallest of smiles.

“Sure, Thomas. Now, come on.” He turned and started walking to his office, Thomas giving a nervous glance to his coworkers before following behind.

Alby was only a year or two older than Thomas, but he was still one of the managers of the store. Out of all the managers there were, Alby was the one Thomas liked the most; he was stern but fair, hardworking but willing to have fun. And he let Thomas and Brenda get away with more shit than they should have. Thomas tried not to get on Alby’s bad side; unfortunately, it seemed like he might have. He wasn’t sure how, and that scared him.

They reached the manager’s office, Alby shutting the door behind them. He turned to face Thomas, uncharacteristically uncertain in his expression.

“So…” Alby started, his hands touching at the fingertips. “We’ve gotten a few complaints about you in the drive-thru.”

Another spike of Thomas’ heart. “Oh?”

“Yeah. Apparently the lines keep being held up.”

Thomas scrunched his eyebrows. “When? Me and Bren usually try to get the food out as quick as we can. You know, so we can go back to not having to deal with customers.”

“I know,” Alby agreed. “That’s why I was so surprised.”

“Well, who said it? Maybe it was just someone who ordered a lot of food and didn’t want to wait.”

“Oh, this isn’t just one complaint,” Alby corrected. “It’s been several over the course of the last few months. I waited to bring it up until I saw it was a recurring problem.”

“Oh,” Thomas mumbled, scared and confused. “How...what did I do?”

“Well,” Alby looked away for a moment. “Apparently you’ve been spending too long talking to customers. So long that the person behind them has to honk their horn to get you to send them off.”

Thomas blushed; there was no way Alby could know, but Thomas realized immediately that it wasn’t multiple customers Thomas had been talking to, but one; Newt. He must have been so distracted by talking to Newt that he completely ignored the horns.

“Well,” Thomas started lying. “Sometimes customers can ramble. You know, tell us their whole life story unprompted.”

Alby laughed. “Trust me, I know. But I also know you’re capable of cutting customers off when you need to. I’ve seen you do it before.”

“Right.”

“Let me read you one of the complaints, so you can get an idea of what I’m talking about.” Alby picked up a piece of paper from his desk and began reading. “ _I came through the other night for dinner after a long day. I know the person in front of me ordered a coffee because that’s all they were handed from the window. So I wish I knew why I was stuck behind this person for TEN MINUTES before I had to honk my horn to get the cashier’s attention. I think they forgot I was even there. Luckily they remade my food so it would be fresh, but I should not have had to wait that long_.”

Thomas felt his blush deepen with shame the further Alby got in the complaint. He had felt horrible that day, too. He always tried to stay as professional as possible at his job, no matter how much he hated it. Newt derailed all of that without even trying.

“You see what I mean?” Alby replied. “There’s been a couple of other comments like this, saying someone who got a coffee was at the window for a really long time.”

Thomas felt his heart hit the floor. _Oh_ , he thought. _He does know it’s one person_.

“I love having friends come and visit as much as you do,” Alby continued. “But you can’t give them special treatment. Imagine if you were waiting in line for ten minutes because two people were chatting and ignoring you. You would feel like shit, right?”

Thomas nodded, avoiding Alby’s eyes. “Yeah.”

“Right. So just remember to be considerate. If there’s no one behind your friend, then sure, talk to them. But you have to remember that other customers deserve to be served, too. It’s only fair.”

Thomas nodded again. Alby was right.

“I will,” he promised. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I was doing that so much.”

“I know you didn’t,” Alby assured. “And between you and me, I think you’re one of the best workers here. That’s why I want to make sure you don’t slip up like this again, before it becomes a bigger problem that I can’t slide under the table.”

Thomas felt his anxiety deflate slightly at Alby’s confidence.

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

“Of course. Now go get ready for your trip to Disney.”

Thomas laughed in surprise. “Oh, yeah. Thanks.”

An hour after their conversation, Newt arrived at the drive-thru. Brenda was the one who started his order.

“Oh, hey Newt!” she greeted. “Do you wanna talk to-”

“No no no no no,” Thomas whispered in a panic, shaking his head. “You do it.”

“-to, um me? Since Thomas is in the bathroom?”

“Uh,” Newt laughed in confusion over the headset. “Sure. What’s up?”

“Oh, the usual,” Brenda continued, eyeing Thomas with suspicion. “Just another day at my dream job.”

“Of course,” Newt replied. “I’m sure you’ve been dreaming of working here ever since you were a child.”

“I was never a child,” Brenda argued. “I was born one day, and now I’m here.”

“Lucky for you,” Newt retorted. “I was a horrible child.”

Brenda laughed. “You can tell me more about that at the window.”

“Sure thing.” Newt drove off, the microphone on Brenda’s headset turning off automatically. Thomas ran and hid behind the wall so Newt couldn’t see him. He motioned for Brenda to follow him. She did, rolling her eyes as she walked.

“What’s your problem?” Brenda asked.

“I told you what Alby said before,” Thomas explained. “I keep taking too much time talking to Newt. If I do it again, I’m gonna get in trouble.”

“Since when have you ever cared about getting in trouble?”

“Alby is letting this slide. I don’t want this to come back and bite him in the ass.”

“Well, Alby also said that you could talk to Newt as long as there was no one behind him. And there’s no one behind him now.”

“What if someone shows up? I’ll be too distracted.”

“By what, Newt’s _beautiful eyes_?” Brenda teased.

“I--yeah, maybe.”

“I have a feeling you’ll be paranoid after today. I don’t think you’ll fuck up again. And if you do, I’ll warn you.”

Thomas sighed. “Alright.”

“Go get him, tiger.”

Thomas walked over to the window, waving at Newt through the glass. He quickly poured his black coffee before opening the window, moving his headset off of his ear.

“Hey,” Thomas greeted, handing him the coffee.

“Hello,” Newt replied. “Enjoy your bathroom break?”

“What?” Thomas asked before remembering what Brenda said. “Oh, yeah. Just the best.”

Newt laughed. “I’m glad. How’s your night been?”

“Better now,” Thomas said instinctively. He realized immediately how it sounded. “Um, cause I just had one of Frypan’s sandwiches. They’re the best.”

“Really?” Newt inquired. “I gotta try one sometime.”

“Yeah, for sure,” Thomas nodded, frantically looking around for a sign that another car was approaching.

“You okay?” Newt questioned. “You look like someone’s about to jump out of the bushes with a knife.”

“Oh,” Thomas realized, trying to relax. “Yeah. I got uh, sort of reprimanded by my manager today.”

Newt’s eyes widened. “For what? Is it because of the coffee?”

“Well,” Thomas began, unsure what to admit. “Yes and no. He doesn’t know that you’re getting the coffee for free.”

“That’s good.”

“But apparently…” Thomas felt his ears burning before he continued. “I talk to you too much?”

Newt gave a puzzled smirk. “Oh really?”

“Yeah. Apparently I’ve, uh, ignored some customers.”

“Ah, yes. I remember some people angrily flashing their brights at me.”

“And honking.”

“Can’t forget that.”

“So, yeah. I’m scared that someone’s gonna show up at any minute, and I’ll have to shoo you away.”

Newt laughed again, a sound Thomas didn’t think he’d ever get tired of hearing.

“Listen, if you need to kick me out because there’s someone waiting behind me, I won’t be offended. It’s only fair. I’d be pissed if I was them.”

“Of course.”

“I guess I’m to blame, too,” Newt admitted, looking off to the side sheepishly. “I haven’t exactly been heeding to the people who were honking at me.”

Thomas shrugged, also looking away. “I’m sure you just didn’t want to seem rude to me by driving off.”

“Well, sure,” Newt nodded. “But, you know.” He looked back up at Thomas. “I also enjoy talking to you.”

Thomas almost felt frozen, sure that he was blushing once again. He really wished he could stop doing that.

“I-I-me, uh, thanks,” Thomas stammered. “You, too. Enjoy talking to you, too. I do.”

“Jesus Christ,” Brenda murmured behind him.

“You sounded like Yoda there,” Newt pointed out, chuckling. He suddenly did a mediocre Yoda impression. “Enjoy coming to this store, I do. Coffee, I drink.”

Thomas internally sighed at Newt swerving away from Thomas’ stammering.

“Hate this job, I do,” Thomas continued in an equally bad impression. “For new Star Wars, I wait.”

“Yeah, I’m gonna have to stop this right now,” Brenda interrupted. “You guys are terrible Yodas.”

“How about you try it?” Newt teased. “It’s not so easy.”

“I have a bit too much self-respect for that, I’m afraid,” she replied. “Sorry.”

“Fair, that is,” Thomas nodded.

“Sith Lord, she is,” Newt joked.

***

_N: i got tommy in trouble_

_T: what’d you do_

_N: we talk too much and ignore the people behind me_

_T: oh, gross_

_N: what_

_T: the puppy love. im disgusted_

_N: you probably do the same thing_

_T: oh i definitely do. sometimes we just talk on the phone, tho_

_N: aww, how sweet_

_T: i feel like i could talk to her for hours. we like to rant to each other a lot_

_N: thats how i feel with tommy. hence why he got in trouble_

_T: was he punished at all?_

_N: not this time, but he has to be careful_

_T: you could always give him your number. then you wouldnt have that problem :)_

_N: that feels way too inappropriate. the last thing i would want at work is for a customer to give me their number. its creepy_

_T: doesnt this feel different to you?_

_N: to me it does. but probably not to him_


	6. June

“That’ll be $2.16,” Thomas told the customer, a tired-looking, middle-aged woman. She started rummaging through her car’s center console near the gear shift, seemingly piling coins in her hand without looking at them. She turned and dropped them in Thomas’ hands.

“Here you go,” she said unenthusiastically.

“Thanks,” Thomas stated as he caught the coins. To say they were unpleasant to hold would be an understatement; they were covered in what looked like tar, with bits of dirt and hair sticking to them. Some coins were stuck together entirely. Thomas attempted to count them, but it was so hard to tell what was actually there. They could have been Canadian coins, for all Thomas knew. He did get them frequently. Alby told him to just keep them with the others. At this point, they were an honorary American currency.

Thomas continued to sift through the dirty pile of coins. Squinting, Thomas realized there was also a pill and a small screw in his hand. He picked them out between his fingers and held them out to the customer.

“Um, m’am?” he said. “You gave me these.”

“Oh, shit,” the woman groaned, taking them back. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Thomas replied, deciding that what was in his hand was probably close to $2.16. Enough people told him to ‘keep the change’ every day that it would even out, anyway. “Here are your drinks.”

“Thanks.” The woman grabbed the drinks from Thomas, placing them in what was probably a dirty cupholder. “Have a good one.” She drove off quickly.

“Fuckin’ gross,” Thomas complained as he walked over to the sink. “I mean, I try not to judge people, but I had to _touch_ that!”

As he started washing his hands, he saw that Brenda was pacing next to him, staring at nothing in particular. She seemed anxious, which was uncommon for her. Brenda was one of the most calm, cool, and level-headed people that Thomas knew. They balanced each other out, as Thomas was the exact opposite. So to see Brenda acting more like him was...unsettling, to put it one way.

“Bren?” Thomas called as he dried his hands.

“Hm?” Brenda snapped up her head as she stopped walking. “Yeah, what?”

“Aaaare you okay?” Thomas cautiously asked. “You seem stressed.”

“Stressed? No, I’m not stressed. Just...I don’t know. I don’t fucking know anymore, dude.”

“Try to explain. I’m all ears.”

Brenda sighed. “Does it feel like we haven’t seen Teresa in a while?”

Thomas paused, thinking it over. Truthfully, he didn’t really keep track; he liked her company, sure, but he mostly left her alone with Brenda so he could take care of orders or clean. And, of course, so Brenda could get some alone time with her.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “Maybe it’s been a few weeks?”

Brenda nodded. “It has been. I’m worried I scared her off somehow.”

“You?” Thomas said sarcastically. “Scare someone off? Why, you’re the least intimidating person I know! You’ve never scared me!”

Brenda glared at him. “Exactly. That’s why I’m nervous. I felt like things were going really well between us. Like we could just talk for hours. Now I’m wondering what it is that I did, or what I said, or…”

Thomas shrugged. “Maybe she went on vacation? Or she switched shifts?”

Brenda shook her head. “I feel like she would have told me about that.”

“Well, if you had gotten her number like I said, you could have just asked her yourself.”

“You know I’m not gonna do that. It feels predatory.”

“It’s not like she’s a customer. She’s just a friend.”

“She sort of is a customer. But, actually…” Brenda’s eyebrows shot up.

“What?”

“I do have her number.”

“You do?”

“The store. I could just call and order a pizza. Then she’ll have to come here, and I can ask her what I did wrong. And if she doesn’t want to talk to me anymore, then I can drown my sorrows in the pizza. It’s a win-win.”

“As long as I get some pizza, I’m good with this plan,” Thomas smiled.

“Me too!” Frypan yelled from the kitchen. “I miss that girl and her pizza.”

“It’s settled.” Brenda grabbed the company’s landline phone, dialing the pizza place’s number from memory. She placed the phone on speaker, her and Thomas listening to it ring.

“Wicked Good Pizza, how can I help you?” an older male voice said. Thomas looked up at Brenda in a panic.

“Hi, could I get a half-pepper, half-sausage pizza for delivery?” Brenda asked, seemingly unfazed by the lack of Teresa’s voice.

“Sure, anything else?”

“No, thank you.”

“Where is it going?”

“The [copyright free fast food place] down the road.”

“Alright, should be there in 20 minutes.”

“Thank you.” Brenda hung up the phone.

“She didn’t answer,” Thomas stated the obvious. “Why did you still order?”

“She isn’t always the one who answers when I call,” Brenda explained. “But she’s their delivery girl on Fridays. She’ll be here.”

“She’s gonna be here soon,” Brenda said 18 minutes later. “I need to act casual.”

“That’s an oxymoron,” Thomas commented.

“Shut up. Just...act like we’re not waiting for her to show up.”

Thomas rolled his eyes before grabbing a towel, wiping off the counters he had already cleaned for the night. Brenda grabbed a broom and started sweeping the practically spotless floor. It had been a slow night, which meant more time for Brenda to stew in her anxiety. It hurt to watch.

A minute or so later, the door creaked open. Thomas purposefully kept his head down as to not seem suspicious. He kept his eyes glued to the counter.

“Pizza’s here!” Brenda called to the back, assumedly for Frypan and Alby. “Hey Teresa.”

“Hey,” Teresa responded, a noticeably nervousness in her tone. “I figured it was you when I saw the order.”

“Yup,” Brenda affirmed. “It’s us.”

There was a few moments of awkward silence, Thomas slowly turning so he could get a better look at them. Frypan was also creeping on them from the kitchen.

“I, uh,” Brenda started. “Feel like I haven’t seen you in a while.”

Teresa gave a weak smile. “Yeah. Same.”

“Hey, um...I know I can be kind of brash sometimes. So if I said anything that was mean, or-”

“Oh, no,” Teresa interrupted. “No, no. You didn’t do anything.”

“It’s okay,” Brenda insisted. “I fuck up all the time. I know I’m a loudmouth.”

“I mean it,” Teresa countered. “It’s not you. I, uh…”

“What?”

Teresa sighed. “I got in trouble at work.”

Thomas could see Brenda go slightly stiff, her hands twitching.

“Really?” she asked. “For what?”

“I…” Teresa looked down, a blush forming on her pale cheeks. “Apparently, when I bring you guys pizza, I, uh...stay too long. Talking.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. I guess I lose track of time when I’m here.”

“Me, too.”

“So, that’s why you haven’t seen me for a bit,” Teresa continued. “I didn’t want to get in trouble again.”

“I totally get that,” Brenda nodded. “Your job is more important than some shitty fast food nuggets.”

Teresa looked confused for a brief second before smiling.

“Right. The nuggets. I mean, they are pretty good.”

“Eh. They’re alright.”

“I like them. I think it might be worth risking my job.”

“For some _nuggets_?”

“Yeah,” Teresa laughed, her tone edging on sarcasm. “For some nuggets.”

“Well,” Brenda continued. “They’ll be here. Whenever you wanna come down. You can take some now, if you want.”

“Sure.”

“Hey, Fry-”

“Already got them,” Frypan smirked, handing Brenda a box of nuggets.

“Thanks,” she replied. She turned around and handed them to Teresa, along with some barbeque sauce and the money for the pizza. “Here you go. Tip included.”

“Is the tip the nuggets?” Teresa asked.

“No, I gave you a real tip. I’m not a monster.”

Teresa laughed again. “Thank you.” She grabbed her stuff. “I gotta get back. I have to be more careful when I’m here, I suppose.”

“I’ll start timing you.”

“Great. And uh, thanks for reminding me why I kept coming here.”

Brenda tilted her head in confusion.

“You know,” Teresa explained. “For the nuggets.” She winked before quickly turning and walking out the door, giving another quick smile to Brenda as she left.

***

_N: well that was pretty forward of you_

_T: i know!! it was like something came over me_

_N: i wish i could be as bold as you_

_T: you normally are_

_N: i know. but thomas makes me nervous. i cant act the same around him_

_T: act like what?_

_N: like the suave, charming man i am around other guys_

_T: so you’re saying you act like...yourself...around thomas_

_N: yeah. i guess so_

_T: well you can still be bold and be yourself. just sprinkle some in_

_N: and i will pepper in the fact that i am gay_

_T: and then im gonna shove him_

_N: im new in town, and it gets worse_

_T: but seriously. try it. it was really invigorating_

_N: i’ll do my best_


	7. July

“Alright, guys,” Alby said, getting everyone’s attention with a singular clap. “Good job clearing that rush.”

“You’d think people would be going to barbeques tonight, but nope,” Thomas sighed. “They’re coming here.”

“Don’t say barbeque,” Frypan groaned. “I don’t even wanna think about the food I’m missing out on right now. Or the food I could be making.”

“Or the drinks I could be having,” Brenda added.

“Well, I was actually about to mention that,” Alby grinned. “Now, obviously we can’t all get drunk on the job. But as a way to thank you guys for working during a holiday, I figured I would let you guys have a treat.”

“A treat?” Thomas tilted his head.

“Yeah,” Alby nodded. “Some of my secret recipes. I know that’s your thing, Fry, but I figured I could take the wheel for the night.”

Frypan laughed. “The floor is yours.”

Alby’s smile grew. “Great. Now, let’s make some virgin margaritas.”

Alby proceeded to make them his own assortment of experimental beverages; soda slushies, fruity teas, fancy coffees, and a special smoothie blend. Nothing that was on the menu, but all made from ingredients and machines they had in the store. Thomas was amazed at how great it all tasted. Clearly, Alby had been toying around with this for a while.

“This would go great with vodka,” Brenda noted as she sipped some of the tea.

“I’m making this slushie the next time I go to the movies,” Thomas admitted. “It’s just as good, but I get it for free.”

“Not all the time,” Alby pointed. “The upper managers will notice if we take too much.”

“Of course,” Thomas nodded.

“I gotta say, man, I’m impressed,” Frypan acknowledged. “If we combined these drinks with my dishes, we’d have a 5-star restaurant on our hands.”

“Thanks,” Alby replied. “That means a lot coming from you.”

“You guys should quit this joint and open your own place,” Brenda suggested. “I’d go.”

“Well, I’ve already got my plan for when I inevitably open a restaurant,” Frypan hummed. “But Alby could join in, I guess.”

“No,” Alby retorted. “I think _you’ll_ be joining _my_ restaurant.”

“Hey, I’ve been working-”

Alby and Frypan started to playfully argue, Brenda watching in amusement as she sipped her tea. Suddenly, the headset chimed, Thomas turning on his mic and walking away from the group towards a register.

“Hi, this is Thomas, what can I get you?”

“You’re gonna hate me,” Newt started. “But I actually need to order food today.”

Thomas made an overly-dramatic gasp. “What? I-I can’t. I feel faint.”

“Hang in there, mate,” Newt laughed. “It’s gonna be okay.”

“Let me get my composure,” Thomas huffed. “I wasn’t prepared for this. I don’t know if I’m ready.”

“You can do it,” Newt assured. “Just pretend like I’m any other customer.”

 _You’re not_ , Thomas thought to himself. _You’re so much better_.

“Okay,” Thomas let out a breath. “Alright. What...would you like...to eat…?”

Newt laughed again. “I need the, uh, number 4 meal in a medium, but with no onions. And a Coke to drink.”

“Is this for Sonya?”

“How’d you know?”

“The Coke.”

“Ah. Yeah, we’re going to a fireworks show down by the bridge, and she wanted some food.”

“Oh, they’re doing a fireworks show?”

“Yup.”

“Damn. I wanna go watch fireworks.”

“I’m sorry, mate. I wish you could come with me. Um, us, I mean.”

Thomas sighed. “Me, too. But whatever. I’m used to it.”

“Still sucks.”

“Yeah. Were you getting anything else?”

“Just the coffee for me. I already ate.”

Thomas looked over at Alby’s assortment of beverages. “Since we’re changing it up tonight, you wanna try a new drink?”

“Does it have caffeine in it?”

“That is an option.”

“Then sure.”

“Okay. I’m gonna surprise you with it at the window.”

Newt chuckled. “Sure, mate. See you there.” He drove off. Thomas opened the window once Newt’s car approached.

“Welcome back,” he greeted.

“Lovely to see you.”

“Now, I can’t believe I’m saying this...but you owe me $10.80.”

Newt jokingly clutched at his chest. “Oh, god. That’s so much money...I think I might go bankrupt.”

“Do it for Sonya,” Thomas insisted. “She needs this food. She’ll starve without it.”

“You’re right. I’ll do it for her. For Sonya!” Newt laughed as he handed over the money to Thomas.

Thomas held the money jokingly close to his eyes, examining it thoroughly.

“Would you look at that,” Thomas started. “It’s American money! And it only took you seven months to finally get some.”

“It was a long journey, but I made it,” Newt stated.

Thomas was about to speak when he heard the sound of a bag being placed on the counter behind him.

“Your food’s up,” Alby explained. “Is this your friend?”

“Yeah,” Thomas nodded, even though he wasn’t entirely sure if _friend_ was the right word to describe him. “This is Newt. Newt, this is my manager Alby.”

“Hello there,” Newt greeted, polite but looking slightly tense. Thomas guessed it was because of when he got reprimanded by Alby a few months ago. “Nice to meet you.”

“Same to you,” Alby replied, shaking Newt’s hand as he handed him the food and Coke. “Say, would you like to try a new drink I just made?”

Newt’s smile widened, his posture relaxing slightly. “Sure. Tommy mentioned something about that.”

“Oh, did _Tommy_?” Alby repeated, putting emphasis on the nickname. “Of course he did.”

Thomas could hear Brenda and Frypan laughing in the background. He turned away from the window to hide his blush.

“Well, I’ve got a couple of different options,” Alby continued. He listed them off for Newt. “Which one do you want?”

“I’m gonna need some caffeine to get me through the night,” Newt pondered. “So the Coke slushie, I think.”

“Great choice,” Thomas approved. “Although, I have a feeling Sonya’s gonna steal it from you.”

“I bought her food,” Newt argued. “She doesn’t get to steal anything.”

“Here you go,” Alby said as he walked back with the drink. He handed it to Newt. “Hope you like it.”

“I’m sure I will,” Newt smiled. “Thanks again.”

“No problem. Enjoy your night,” Alby waved.

“You, too,” Newt replied as Alby walked away.

“Alright, man,” Thomas started, expecting Newt to leave. “I’ll see you around.”

“Are you sure you can’t come?” Newt asked, eyeing the other workers. “It seems like they have the store under control.”

Thomas shook his head. “They probably do, but I have to close the store. It would be unfair to them if I left.”

Newt nodded, looking slightly deflated. “I suppose. I’m sure you’ll see the fireworks somehow.”

Something about Newt’s tone there was off, but Thomas couldn’t tell how. It felt like he was missing something.

“Yeah, hopefully,” Thomas replied. “I’d like to.”

“I think you will,” Newt said more confidently. He gave a quick salute. “See you.” He drove away, Thomas alone at the window.

A few seconds later, Thomas saw a firework go off down the road. He smiled.

***

_N: well, i tried_

_T: tried what?_

_N: to be bold like you_

_T: im not really ‘bold’, that was a one-time thing_

_N: better once than never_

_T: what did you do?_

_N: i tried asking thomas to come watch the fireworks with me and lizzy_

_T: that sounds pretty bold to me_

_N: well he couldnt exactly leave his job, so i knew it wouldnt work_

_T: right_

_N: but i tried to insinuate. you know, that he should see the *fireworks*_

_T: ...uh huh_

_N: get it? the *fireworks*_

_T: yes, the fireworks_

_N: but i meant, like. between us. he should see the fireworks between us_

_T: ohhhhhh_

_N: yeah. like i said, i tried_

_T: im sure he’ll get that. maybe. probably. hopefully_

_N: not if he’s half as oblivious as you_

_T: im not oblivious, that just wasnt a clear pickup line_

_N: what about how you’re oblivious to how brenda is obviously into you_

_T: im not oblivious, im just in denial. theres a difference :)_


	8. August

It was the tensest part of the night; the last ten minutes before the store closed. There was the anticipation of being one step closer to leaving for the night, but also the fear that a customer would show up in the last ten minutes and ruin all of their plans. Little orders, like an ice cream cone or one sandwich, were fine; but there were people who would come through and order $50 worth of food with three minutes left on the clock. Thomas never knew which way it was going to go, and it always left him on edge.

“Do you think we should start throwing stuff out?” Brenda asked. “Or do you think people might show up tonight?”

“It is still summertime,” Thomas mentioned. “I feel like we could get some late-night partiers with the munchies, or something.”

Brenda groaned. “But I want to get out of here quickly tonight. I’m exhausted.”

“What, didn’t get enough sleep last night?”

“No. I was up all night trying to find the cheapest versions of all the textbooks I need.”

 _Shit,_ Thomas thought. “I completely forgot to do that.”

“You have time,” Brenda assured. “I’ll send you links to the websites I used. I refuse to let this school take one more penny out of me.”

“I can’t even imagine what it’s gonna be like when we’re not in community college anymore. I hear everything’s, like, ten times worse in the ‘real’ colleges.”

“I’ll find a way,” Brenda nodded. “Even if it means just straight up not buying the textbook. I’ll figure it out.”

Before Thomas could respond, the phone rang. Brenda ran to it quickly, before Alby could pick up. Although, now that Thomas thought about it, Alby hadn’t been answering the phone himself for the last few months. He had just been letting it ring until Brenda picked up.

“[Copyright free fast food place], this is Brenda, can I help you?” Brenda said into the phone. Her face suddenly lit up into a smile. “Oh, hey. Didn’t think I’d hear from you tonight.” A pause. “We’re open for, like, 8 more minutes. I don’t know if you’ll-oh, and she hung up.”

Thomas chuckled. “What now?”

“Teresa said that a customer just cancelled an order, so she wanted to make sure she got here before we closed. So I guess she sort of just...ran out the door.”

“I guess they are open later than us, huh?”

“People love their pizza.”

Suddenly, the front door creaked open. Thomas looked over in surprise at how fast Teresa got there. Only, it wasn’t her.

“Hey guys,” Chuck smiled, his hair matted to his forehead. “I biked here as fast as I could.”

“Hey, Chuck,” Thomas grinned. He walked over to Chuck and tossed his hair around playfully. “You know, I’m gonna miss you once the summer ends.”

“I’ll still come sometimes,” Chuck insisted. “Well, when I can convince my mom to bring me here.”

“Which will be never,” Brenda hummed. “Because I’m a ‘bad influence’ and ‘not good with kids.’”

“You’re great with kids,” Thomas countered. “Most people just don’t expect that because of your...well, everything.”

Brenda gave a sarcastic grin. “Gee, thanks.”

“Do you guys have anything?” Chuck asked excitedly.

“You know the rule,” Brenda reminded. “You gotta wait until we’re closed.”

“Yeah, I know…” Chuck sighed.

Chuck was a goofy kid, probably around 12 or 13, that came into the store during the summers right as they were closing. Sometimes he brought friends, but for the most part, he was alone. He lived in the apartment complex right across the street, so it was a short ride. As soon as the store closed, Thomas and Brenda took whatever food they were going to throw out for the night and gave it to him. He was pretty much their human garbage disposal, but he clearly didn’t mind at all.

The three stood there and chatted, with no customers interrupting them, luckily. About two minutes before it was time to close, the door creaked open again, Teresa practically busting it down as she ran in.

“Phew,” she huffed. “Made it.”

“Hi, new person,” Chuck waved enthusiastically. “I’m Chuck.”

Teresa smiled in amusement. “Hi Chuck. I’m Teresa. I work at the pizza store down the road.” She pointed to the logo on the pizza box. “That one.”

“Wicked Good Pizza?” Chuck read, his eyes going wide. “I love that place!”

“Well, if Brenda and Thomas are willing to share…” Teresa glanced over at the two of them, who nodded. “...then you’ll be able to have some right now. Check it out.”

She walked over to the counter, placing two pizza boxes down. She opened them up slowly, as if they were magical chests.

“Woah,” Chuck exhaled as he looked at the pizzas. “That’s a lot of toppings.”

“I know,” Teresa smirked. “I think they realized they didn’t want to pay for all the extra costs.”

“Well, more for us,” Thomas said. He grabbed some platters and started dividing up slices, handing one to Chuck. “You still want some of our nasty, old food?”

“Nah,” Chuck mumbled between bites of the pizza. “I’m good.”

“That must be a common thing with you guys, huh?” Teresa mentioned. “People getting free food from you.”

Thomas and Brenda looked at each other, sharing a moment of realization.

“Huh,” Thomas hummed.

“I guess so,” Brenda shrugged.

“Speaking of, you want any nuggets? We might have some left.”

“That’s okay,” Teresa shook her head. “I’ll take a Sprite, if you don’t mind.”

“Sure,” Brenda replied, walking over to the drink machine.

Thomas looked down at his watch as he ate the pizza. It was exactly 11:00.

“We’re closed!” he cheered. “Sorry customers, but you can’t come in. We’re locking her up.”

“Oh,” Teresa stammered. “Do you guys need me to leave so you can lock up?”

“Just in a few-”

“Nope,” Brenda interrupted Thomas. “It’s fine. We can lock up now.”

“We can?” Thomas asked.

“Yes,” Brenda said, giving Thomas wide eyes, as if speaking to him in code. “We can.” She gave Teresa the Sprite before grabbing some keys off of her belt loop and walking to the front door.

“So much for wanting to leave quickly,” Thomas mumbled to himself.

“What was that?” Teresa asked.

Thomas snapped his head up. “Oh, nothing. Sorry.”

Teresa nodded, but her expression had a trace of doubt.

“Hey, nice patch!” Chuck said, pointing to Teresa’s denim jacket. “That’s pretty.”

“Thanks,” Teresa replied. “Which one?” She craned her neck to try and see it.

“This one,” Chuck explained, pointing some more. “I feel like I’ve seen it before.”

“I can’t see it,” Teresa groaned as she stretched her neck.

Thomas walked over to try and look. Once he saw what it was, his eyes lit up.

“Oh,” Thomas stammered.

“What is it?” Teresa repeated, slightly annoyed.

“It’s the...bi flag...one,” Thomas dragged out, unsure how to say it casually. He looked up to see Teresa’s face freeze as Brenda stopped at the door, keys left dangling in her hand.

“O-oh,” Teresa mumbled in realization. “I...forgot that was on there.”

“Brenda, you have a pin like this, right?” Chuck asked. He turned in excitement towards Thomas. “And you, too! At that parade! Last June! You guys remember? You saw me and you were like, ‘ _Hey, where are your parents_ ’, and I was like, ‘ _I don’t know, I just heard there was gonna be a parade_?’ And then you hung out with me until my mom showed up? Remember?”

Teresa looked quizzically over at Brenda, a hint of fear still in her eyes combined with something that looked like hope, or maybe pleading. Thomas understood how she felt immediately.

Brenda quickly collected her composure and smiled. “Yeah, Chuck, you’re right. I’m bi. So is Thomas.” She walked back behind the counter, clearly trying to stay cool and calm. “Weird how they somehow hired both of us.”

“Does Alby know?” Teresa asked.

“You know, I’m not sure,” Brenda admitted, thinking. “Truthfully, we talk about it enough up here that he might have overheard it. But he’s probably not straight, either.”

“What makes you say that?” Thomas asked.

Brenda shrugged. “Just a feeling.”

“You know, I sort of had a feeling you were...not straight,” Teresa admits, looking down. “But I didn’t really know how to ask you without seeming weird. Or invasive.”

“I get it,” Brenda smiled, an uncharacteristic shyness in her expression. “I felt the same about you.”

Teresa relaxed slightly. “I’m glad I know. It makes me feel a little safer, you know. Around here. That there’s more of us.”

“Same here,” Brenda agreed.

“I feel safe here,” Chuck suddenly chimed in.

“Thanks, Chuck,” Thomas laughed. “Glad to hear it.”

***

_T: newtnewtNEWTNEWT_

_N: what huh hello_

_T: BIG NEWSSSS_

_N: yes?_

_T: BRENDA AND THOMAS ARE BI_

_N: i-...what?_

_T: THEYRE BI!!!!!!!!!!_

_N: both of them?!?!?!_

_T: yes!!!! just like me!!!_

_N: that’s-...i-...what-...how_

_T: are you really THAT surprised?_

_N: yes and no? how did you find out?_

_T: i ran out to give them pizza and threw on my jacket in the car. which had the bi patch on it_

_N: ohhh_

_T: ya. this kid chuck saw it? and he pretty much outed everyone there_

_N: oh tommy’s talked about chuck. says he’s like a fun but annoying little brother_

_T: i got that vibe_

_N: well this is. huh_

_T: i know_

_N: i dont know how to feel about this_

_T: happy? that we have new gay friends?_

_N: yes, but…_

_T: but what_

_N: doesnt everything feel weird to you now? different?_

_T: hmm_

_N: i dont wanna say *hopeful* but its. different_

_T: maybe we should try being hopeful for once_

_N: im not sure if i know how_


	9. September

Thomas was by himself tonight; the weather was starting to get a little chillier, and there was a bad cold going around. Brenda got it, so Thomas decided to let her rest for a couple of days and handle closing the store by himself.

Teresa still came in a few times over the week to trade. Thomas enjoyed her company; she was fun to talk to, and it seemed like they had a lot in common. He was sure that Teresa liked talking to him, too, but he could tell that she was slightly disappointed whenever Brenda wasn’t there. At this point, he would feel confident in calling the two of them _friends_ , though he wasn’t sure that Brenda would agree.

He still wasn’t sure if he and Newt were friends, or just friend- _ly_. Sometimes he thought they might actually be flirting, but he was bad at both doing it and picking up on it. And a part of him was still somehow convinced that even though Newt had a rainbow bumper sticker, he wasn’t actually gay. It could be Sonya’s car, or a used car, or maybe just a way of showing allyship. Thomas wasn’t one to let himself see the good in something so easily.

Another part of him was convinced that it didn’t even matter. Even if Newt _was_ gay, and even if they _were_ flirting, there was no way Thomas could ask him out. It felt invasive, unprofessional, and almost predatory. And he was convinced that Newt would feel the same.

He let these thoughts distract him as he started disassembling the fry station, pulling it out onto a tray to bring back for Frypan to wash. This was his least favorite part of the night, so he tried to get it out of the way early.

Just as he was about to start cleaning, his headset chimed. Groaning to himself, he turned on his mic.

“Hi, this is Thomas, what can I get you?”

“Hello Tommy,” Sonya said in an exaggerated deep voice. “This is Newt, your second favorite customer!”

Thomas couldn’t help but laugh, his previous annoyance vanishing instantly.

“Second favorite?”

“Yeah. My sister Sonya is your favorite! Isn’t that right, Tommy?”

Hearing someone that wasn’t Newt call him Tommy was strange; people either called him just Thomas, or, occasionally (and mostly by Teresa), Tom. He didn’t realize how unique the nickname was to him and Newt until this moment.

“Of course. Sonya is the best. Especially when she repeatedly pranks me and scares the shit out of me. Again and again. For months.”

“She’s really great at it! And she’s so nice that-” She switched to her normal voice. “She’s getting Newt some coffee since he’s too sick to leave the house.”

Thomas frowned, even though Sonya couldn’t see him.

“Oh, he’s sick, too?”

“Yeah,” Sonya sighed. “He kept insisting that he was fine to drive, but I wouldn’t let him. Besides, I like driving his car.”

 _Okay_ , Thomas thought. _So it is his car_. Even though that was seemingly obvious, Thomas was someone who liked proof.

“You also like stealing his food, apparently,” Thomas observed.

“That’s my right as a little sister. I was born to do that.”

“Did you want anything?”

“I mean, if you have an extra burger or something lying around, I can look the other way. And my Coke, of course.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Thomas smiled. “See you at the window.”

Sonya drove off as Thomas walked over to Frypan.

“Hey, Fry?”

Frypan looked up from where he was cleaning the grill. “What’s up?”

“You got any, uh...spare burgers over there? That don’t have onion on them?”

Frypan looked at his ingredients knowingly.

“Sure,” he grinned. “Yeah, I think I have something extra.”

“Thanks,” Thomas winked. He walked back over to the window, getting the coffee and Coke ready. He opened the window once they were done.

“Look at you, driving,” Thomas motioned as he handed Sonya the drinks.

“I would drive more if Newt wasn’t using his car so often,” Sonya complained.

“Why don’t you get your own?”

“When he has a perfectly usable car that I can steal? No, thanks.”

Thomas laughed. “Of course. That’s big in your family.”

“What is?”

“Stealing. Or getting stuff for free.”

Sonya shook her head. “No, I think that’s _your_ thing. Giving stuff away for free.”

“Trust me, it’s not as common as you think. Only for the select few.”

Sonya placed her hand over her heart. “I’m honored.”

“Speaking of…” Thomas walked back over to the grill. He looked in the heating area to see a burger nicely wrapped, waiting for Thomas. Frypan was nonchalantly washing the counter, acting innocent as always. Thomas smiled as he brought it back over to Sonya. “Here. This is for you.”

Sonya’s eyes lit up. “Oh my god, thank you. I’m starving.”

“No problem.”

“By the way, Newt says hi. But in a nasally way.”

Thomas laughed as he imagined Newt speaking like that. He also imagined Newt, bundled up in some blankets, with a red nose and messy hair. Thomas wished he could go take care of him. But Sonya was more than capable of that.

Part of Thomas was scared of how much he had come to care for Newt. He never really liked customers that much; they were at best mildly entertaining, and at worst, complete assholes. There were some he liked talking to every now and then, but nothing like what he had with Newt. And to not only talk to him as much as he did, but to form feelings for him, was...not good.

“Tell him I said hi, too,” Thomas settled on. “And I look forward to when he can come steal from me next.”

“You know…” Sonya started, looking both hesitant and mischievous. “I bet you’ve stolen from Newt, too.”

Thomas scrunched his eyebrows. “What? What do you mean?”

“Nothing!” Sonya said quickly. “Bye!”

She drove away before Thomas could answer, leaving him puzzled and alone.

***

_N: this coffee doesnt taste the same_

_T: because you werent there to get it from *tommy*?_

_N: well i was gonna say because im sick, but, sure_

_T: i guess. the nuggets dont taste as good when they’re not from brenda_

_N: but. theyre the same nuggets_

_T: not in my heart_

_N: okay then_

_T: by the way, have you thought of our halloween costume yet_

_N: i have a few ideas_


	10. October

“Woah, what’s Spiderman doing here?” Thomas exclaimed as a small family walked into the lobby. “And Elsa? This is crazy!”

The children laughed, that mixture of nervousness and excited curiosity that all children seemed to possess. The parents smiled fondly.

“Hey, you guys want any ice cream?” Thomas asked. He pointed to his hat. “It’s our speciality here at Scoops Ahoy!”

“Yeah!” Spiderman cheered.

“Ice cream!” Elsa echoed.

“Alright,” Thomas grinned. “Coming right up.”

Thomas looked at Brenda as he walked to the ice cream machine. She was handing out some candy through the window, dressed in her own Scoops Ahoy costume. Thomas pitched the idea to Alby that any kids who came inside the store in costume could get a free small container of ice cream. Because, apparently, Thomas lived to give away food to people. Only this time he had an excuse, which Alby allowed. It was one of the many reasons that Halloween was the only holiday Thomas didn’t mind working on.

He finished making the ice cream and handed it to the children, who took it excitedly.

“What do you guys say?” the dad coached.

“THANK YOU!!!” the children said in unison.

Thomas laughed. “No problem. It’s what we do.”

The parents bought themselves some treats before leaving, Brenda working to get the customers moving through the drive-thru. It was one of their busiest nights of the year, so they had to be on their game.

Thomas had a small line forming in the lobby. He took their orders one by one, Alby preparing the food behind him. He gave his current customer their change.

“Thanks, you can wait right over there,” he explained. “I can help who’s next!”

The customer moved swiftly to the right, a girl stepping forward behind him. She had teased-out hair, bright makeup, and an acid-wash 80’s ensemble. It took Thomas a moment to realize that it was…

“Teresa? Is that you?”

Teresa gave a wide grin. “Hey, Tom. You like my costume?”

“It’s great! I think the style really suits you.”

“Thank you. Your Scoops Ahoy costume is great, too.”

“I’m glad you like it. Me and Brenda are matching.” He pointed to Brenda, who was busy talking to a customer at the window.

“I’m matching with a friend, too,” Teresa nodded. “A group, actually. They wanted to go as The Losers Club, but they didn’t really look like costumes, so. My idea won.”

“That’s true,” Thomas nodded. “But it still would have been cool.”

“Well, I’m actually ordering food this time. I don’t trust the party I’m going to to actually have anything edible.”

“Smart choice. What do you need?”

Thomas rang out her order. He wanted to try and tell Brenda that Teresa was there, but she was so busy with her drive-thru customers, he didn’t have a chance. Plus, there were more orders of his own for him to take.

“Order #205?” Alby called out. “The nugget meal with a Sprite?”

“That’s me,” Teresa yelled as she moved her way through the crowd. “Thanks.”

She started to grab her items from the counter. Suddenly, Thomas heard some yelling from the drive-thru.

“TERESA!” Newt’s voice called. Startled, Thomas turned to see Newt excitedly waving his arms from the drive-thru window. It was hard to tell, but it looked like he was also dressed in an acid-wash denim outfit.

Teresa turned until she found where Newt was yelling from, at which point she started waving.

“Hey!! You didn’t tell me you were stopping here! We could have carpooled!”

“It was a last minute decision!” Newt yelled back.

Thomas and Brenda made eye contact from across the store, their faces both sharing the same expression of realization.

“You guys know each other?!” they said at the same time.

“Yeah!” Teresa said loudly.

“We’ve been best mates for ages!” Newt explained.

Brenda looked at Newt in shock, and maybe slight annoyance.

“How come you never brought each other up?” she asked. “You guys have been coming here for a year!!!”

Thomas watched as Teresa and Newt shared a look of hesitation.

“I...don’t know,” Teresa said.

“Well, we talk to each other about you guys,” Newt called. “So I guess we assumed that you two would talk about us? And realize that we...know each other?”

“That doesn’t make any sense!” Thomas exclaimed.

“Why are you all screaming?” Alby interrupted. “I know it’s Halloween, but come on, guys.”

“Sorry,” everyone mumbled at once.

“I’ll see you at the party!” Newt called quickly before driving away, assumedly to not cause any more trouble.

“I gotta go, too,” Teresa awkwardly stated as she grabbed her food. “Uh, bye guys!” She ran out of the store, leaving Thomas with the rest of the customers.

Thomas was forced to not think about that interaction much until the rush was over; there were still a lot of customers, and he didn’t want to make Alby upset again. But once it calmed down, him and Brenda immediately ran to each other.

“Okay, so what the fuck,” Brenda started.

“They’ve been best friends the whole time,” Thomas repeated. “And they never once brought it up.”

“They said that they’ve talked about us,” Brenda remembered, eyes widening. “What the fuck do they say? What do they know about us?”

Thomas’ heart stopped in realization.

“Oh, my god. Newt knows I’m bi. He knows we’re bi.”

“Do you think?”

“There’s no way Teresa wouldn’t have told him. He has to know. Oh, my god.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“He probably thinks I’m a fucking creep!” Thomas started pacing. “He must think I’ve been coming onto him this whole time, and I’ve been giving him shit to try and get him to like me. Oh, my god.”

“Is that not...what we’ve both been doing?”

“Well we never actually planned on doing anything about it! So we can’t be creeps. But he doesn’t know that! Oh my god, what else do they know? What have you told Teresa?”

Brenda paused for a moment. “Not anything that would matter, I don’t think.”

“You didn’t mention me being in love with a customer?”

“No. Did you?”

“No,” Thomas exhaled. “Okay. So maybe we’re good on that end. But he knows I’m bi. I can’t believe he knows that. I’m gonna throw up.”

“Thomas, it’s okay. I don’t think that matters to him. He’s seemed normal ever since we told Teresa, right?”

“I guess.”

“So you’re fine.”

Thomas sighed again. “I don’t know. I just feel like this changes shit, somehow.”

“Me, too. But I don’t know how.”

“Me, either.”

***

_T: ok so there goes that plan_

_N: im sorry! i got excited when i saw you_

_T: its okay. now im worried_

_N: that they’ll think we’re stalkers that have been obsessing over them and talking about them for a year?_

_T: exactly. which is why i didnt want them to know! we were friends!_

_N: do you really think they’ll be weirded out by it?_

_T: wouldnt you be?_

_N: im not sure_

_T: why did you even tell them that we talk about them_

_N: I DONT KNOW!!!! I GAY PANICKED_

_T: that is very unlike you_

_N: i know. fuckign tommy makes me act all stupid and impulsive and i hate it_

_T: do you? i think you kind of like it_

_N: maybe. what about how brenda makes u act all bold and flirty_

_T: ya. i kind of like that too_


	11. November & December

The next couple of weeks after Halloween had been mostly normal. Teresa still came in every now and then if she had an extra pizza, or she would call the store to chat on nights she didn’t. Newt came in most nights for his coffee, occasionally with Sonya in tow.

Thomas couldn’t tell if there was a shift in the energy; something about Teresa and Newt talking about them made Thomas suddenly self-conscious of everything he did. He kept thinking back about everything he had said, wondering if he somehow tipped Newt off to Brenda liking Teresa, or vice versa. But for the most part, it was normal.

Thomas was happier as it was now his favorite time of the year; the holiday season. The rest of his Halloween shift had been mostly fun, and Thanksgiving had just ended. Friendsgiving was this weekend, so that was something to look forward to. And, of course, Christmas.

It felt like so long ago since Thomas clocked in that first day in January when he met Newt. So much had changed since then; for one, he was excited to come into work. He found himself breaking the rules more than usual, which was fun in its own invigorating kind of way. He had made two new friends in Teresa and Sonya, and a new... _something_...in Newt. He had had a lot of fun chatting with him throughout the year, swapping stories and getting to know each other. It reminded him of some of the small moments of happiness in daily human interaction; going to a shop and seeing your favorite cashier being one of them.

Brenda seemed to feel the same; Thomas knew that she had sort of closed herself off to the idea of love, or anything even resembling it. Even with the small Pride parade every year, it still was a conservative sort of town, and Brenda had fallen for more than one straight girl in the past. It had hardened her, so it was nice to see her light up again; to be shy, to be vulnerable, to be nervous in a fun way. Teresa had opened up a side of Brenda that Thomas never thought he would see.

And it was for all of these reasons that Thomas and Brenda were struggling to decide if they should get Newt and Teresa gifts for Christmas.

“Would that be weird?” Thomas asked when he first mentioned the idea. “I mean, we don’t even have their phone numbers, or Instas, or anything.”

“Yeah, but if my distant relatives can send me Christmas cards every year, I feel like it can’t hurt to give them a little something.”

“What would we even get them?”

“I don’t know.”

They decided to ask some of their friends for ideas. They started with Minho on one of his delivery runs.

_“You want to get them gifts?” Minho had echoed. “I mean, sure. I guess. Personally, I think you should just give them your numbers. Brenda’s number is the greatest gift I ever received.”_

_“Oh, shut up,” Brenda jokingly snarked. “You only got it so I can text you if we need something.”_

_“Sure,” Minho shrugged. “The memes we send each other are just a nice bonus. Now imagine what would happen if you had Teresa’s number.”_

_“What, more memes?” Thomas joked._

_“Or some flirty texts,” Minho countered. “That would be a great gift.”_

When Minho wasn’t much help, they tried asking Alby.

_“You wanna get them gifts?” Alby said in disbelief. “Haven’t you given them enough free shit?”_

_“I-what?” Thomas stammered. “How did you know?”_

_“Thomas, it’s not exactly a secret,” Alby rolled his eyes. “The numbers don’t really add up at the end of the night.”_

_“Well...why haven’t you yelled at me?”_

_“Because we make enough money that the little bit you give away doesn’t matter. And they buy stuff sometimes, so if anything, you guys have created loyal customers.”_

_“They are definitely loyal,” Thomas laughed._

_“But don’t make a habit of this,” Alby pointed. “And don’t get them anything. If anything, they should be getting you something to make up for all the stuff you’ve given them all year.”_

_“Teresa’s been giving us pizzas, though,” Brenda argued. “I feel like with her, we’re even. Newt, not so much.”_

_“You wanna give Teresa something, sure,” Alby shrugged. “But Newt should be giving y’all something. And that Sonya girl, too.”_

Since Alby gave a divided answer, they started to get desperate.

They even asked Chuck.

_“Sure! Who doesn’t love gifts?”_

It went about how they expected.

Meanwhile, Teresa and Newt were having a debate of their own.

_T: would it be weird if we got them gifts_

_N: they have given us so much free food i think we owe them_

_T: hey! i trade fairly >:( you’re the thief lol _

_N: well either way i think it would be nice_

_T: what do you think they want?_

_N: a better job_

_T: other than that_

_N: a day off_

_T: i mean, probably_

_N: more pizza_

_T: they always do_

_N: if i weren’t so paranoid and worried of coming off as a weirdo i would say i have an idea_

_T: tell me anyway. i’m feeling bold again_

***

It was now two days before Christmas, and Thomas was feeling insanely on edge. Not because there were a lot of customers; in fact, it was calm and quiet outside. Much like in that day in January, the snow was slowly flickering down outside the window, lit up bright against the black sky. Christmas music hummed playfully over the lobby radio. Thomas had off the next two days, but what should have been excitement turned to anxiety as he kept thinking about the gifts he had waiting in his locker.

Him and Brenda had finally decided on what to get; it wasn’t anything too expensive or special, but just a little something to show their appreciation for all the laughs and fun breaks from the mundane. They each got their own keychain, with obvious design choices; Newt’s was a coffee cup, and Teresa’s was a box of nuggets. They were cute designs by an Etsy store they had found. It seemed like the right level of appropriate to thoughtful.

Still, that fear that Thomas would come off as predatory lingered in the back of his mind. If he was a customer, he knew how weird it would feel if a cashier gave him a gift. But he tried to tell himself that the circumstances were different.

There was also the lingering feeling that maybe, somehow, Newt wouldn’t view it as predatory, and wished that Thomas would do something _more_. There had been small moments, like back in July, that made Thomas wonder. But he couldn’t bring himself to cross the line. It was like they were at a stalemate, or in limbo.

And then there was the part of him that was convinced Newt didn’t even like him as a friend, and he really was just using him for free coffee. He tried to brush it off as much as he could.

Since there were almost no customers, he found himself with little to do. He had done as much of his closing responsibilities as he could, so he just kept cleaning the same counter over and over again. Brenda looked calm on the outside, but Thomas had a feeling she was just as nervous on the inside.

“What if they don’t even show up?” Brenda asked. “They haven’t been here at all this last week. Who’s to say they’ll be here today?”

Thomas shrugged as he continued to wipe down the counter.

“They might not. I’m kind of hoping they don’t, honestly.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. I guess it would make my anxiety go away if they stopped coming. Well, just Newt, anyway. Then I wouldn’t be so worried all the time that I’ll creep him out.”

“But would you really want him to not come here anymore?”

Thomas thought about it for a moment.

“No,” he realized. “I wouldn’t.”

Just then, as if of cue, the front door opened. Teresa walked in, holding a pizza box in her hands, looking noticeably nervous. Walking behind her was...Newt.

“Oh, shit,” Thomas spat out without realizing. “Uh, hi.”

“Hi,” they both greeted, Newt also looking slightly nervous and tense.

“You’re not in your car,” Brenda said to Newt.

“I can see your legs,” Thomas added. He immediately shook his head. “I’m sorry. That sounded so weird.”

Newt gave a hearty laugh, some of that tension melting away for a moment.

“Oh, yeah. I guess you’ve never really seen me not sitting before."

“You’re taller than I expected,” Thomas admitted.

“Is that a good thing?”

Thomas’ heart skipped a beat. It felt like a flirtatious question, but he wasn’t sure.

“Yeah,” he settled on, trying to seem nonchalant. “Tall is good.”

There was a brief pause while no one spoke. It was awkward, but weirdly, it didn’t feel bad. Thomas wasn’t sure he understood it, himself.

“Um, we have something for you,” Teresa spoke up, lifting the pizza box slightly in her hands.

“Us too!” Brenda suddenly burst out. “We also got you something.”

Teresa and Newt’s eyebrows shot up.

“Oh?” Newt hummed.

“Yeah,” Thomas nodded. “I’ll go get it.” He quickly walked back to his locker, his heart rate quickening the closer he got to the gifts. He took the two tiny boxes out, holding them carefully in his hand as he walked back. He could hear Frypan laughing as he passed, since he knew exactly what they were. He had even helped pick them out.

Teresa smiled curiously as Thomas approached with the boxes. He passed them their respective ones.

“Just a little something,” he explained sheepishly. “For making our jobs a lot more fun.”

Newt laughed once he opened his gift, taking it out and turning towards Teresa.

“Look at that!” he exclaimed as he dangled it in his hand. “Another free coffee.”

“And I got some more free nuggets,” Teresa added. “Only this time, they’ll go on my keychain.”

“Same, here,” Newt nodded.

“Thanks, guys,” Teresa smiled. “That’s really sweet. The design is cute, too.”

“They’re from Etsy,” Brenda mentioned. “I got some of their stuff for myself.”

“Well, um,” Newt started, looking at Teresa nervously. They spoke something to each other without words.

“You’ve also made my job more fun,” Teresa spoke to Brenda, slowly placing the pizza box on the counter. “Getting to talk with you on the phone is, like, the highlight of my night. And it’s even better when I can get away and bring you some stuff in person.”

“Trust me, you’re definitely the best part of my night,” Brenda admitted, a wavering confidence in her speech. “It’s way more fun to talk to you than anyone else. It makes this job, you know. Not completely terrible.”

“And Tommy,” Newt continued. “I have to be frank with you. I don’t really like the coffee here that much.”

“Huh?” Thomas remarked.

Newt chuckled. “Yeah. It’s uh, shitty fast food coffee. It’s not that good.”

“Then why would you come get it so often?” Thomas asked. “Just cause it was free?”

Newt shrugged. “I mean, that was part of it, I guess. But honestly, I just really liked talking to you. I could either make coffee myself at my apartment, or come here and chat with someone fun for 20 minutes every other night. And you pretty much won out.”

Thomas could feel himself blushing quite heavily. He couldn’t even be bothered to try and hide it.

“Th-...thanks,” he managed to say.

Teresa and Newt looked at each other again.

“So, um,” Teresa muttered. “That’s why we got you this pizza.”

“To, uh,” Newt fidgeted. “Show you guys how we felt.”

Before Thomas or Brenda could respond, Teresa lifted the lid to the pizza box. At first, Thomas thought it just looked normal; a half-sausage, half-pepper pizza. Their favorite toppings.

But then, upon closer inspection, Thomas realized there was something written in the toppings.

_Would you go on a date with us?_

Thomas froze as he read it, his eyes scanning the words over and over again to make sure he was reading them right. He could sense that Brenda was doing the same thing.

“If this is, like, way too invasive or weird, we totally get it,” Teresa rapidly explained. “And if you say no, that’s fine, we completely understand, and-”

“Yes,” Brenda stated, looking up to meet Teresa’s eyes. “Yes, 100 percent, yes.”

Teresa blinked for a moment. “Yes? You’re--you want to?”

“Fuck yeah,” Brenda affirmed. “I wanted to ask you, but I didn’t want to seem predatory.”

“You’re not,” Teresa assured. “Not at all.”

“Wait,” Thomas interrupted. “Let me just make sure I’m not stupid. It says ‘ _us_ ’, right?”

Newt gave a small, very nervous laugh. “Yes, Tommy. It says ‘ _us_.’”

“So, like...you and Teresa? You’re both asking us?”

“Well,” Newt countered. “I’m asking you. And Teresa’s asking Brenda. But we thought a double-date thing could be fun, if you wanted. Unless you’re saying no, and just Brenda said yes, which I would understand.”

“Oh, god, no,” Thomas started shaking his head. “I mean! Yes! Sorry, I didn’t mean no as in, no I don’t want to, I meant no as in like, no way am I saying no to you, you know?”

Newt scrunched his eyebrows slightly. “Um, I’m a little lost.”

“Yes,” Thomas repeated. “I would love to go out with you. Like, you have no idea.”

Newt visibly relaxed, his mouth turning into a smile.

“Oh, good,” he exhaled. “That’s good. I thought I might have been reading into things.”

“Nope, not reading into anything,” Thomas assured. “Just me liking you a whole lot. In a non-customer way. In like, an _I-find-you-funny-and-cute_ -way.”

Newt’s smile grew as a small blush formed on his cheeks.

“Same here,” he said shyly.

“WHAT’S HAPPENING?” Frypan suddenly yelled from the kitchen. “I HEARD THE WORD CUTE.”

“We’ll explain later,” Brenda called. “Right now I’m going to be unprofessional at work.” She suddenly ran around the counter, tackling Teresa into a tight hug. They rocked back and forth, both seemingly relieved to finally have their feelings out in the open.

Thomas and Newt looked at each other for a moment, both unsure of what to do next. Before Thomas could come up with something, his headset chimed. _Of course._ He held up a finger to Newt as he turned on his mic.

“Hi, this is Thomas, what can I get you?”

“Hey,” the customer started. “Can I get, um….uh…”

Thomas walked away from the counter to place the order, trying to hide his frustration and pent-up energy as he talked to the customer. He didn’t want to seem rude to Newt, but he still had a job to do, and Brenda was clearly preoccupied.

As soon as the order was finished, he rushed back over to the counter to apologize. But Newt was gone. It was just Teresa and Brenda, lazily holding hands as they talked to each other.

“Where’s Newt?” Thomas asked.

Teresa and Brenda looked around, snapping out of their gaze.

“I don’t know,” they both said.

Sighing, Thomas walked away, beating himself up for already messing up his chance with Newt. He rang out the customer at the window and gave him his drinks, the whole time thinking about what he would say to Newt the next time he saw him.

Right after the customer left, there was another chime on the headset. Thomas turned his mic on.

“Hi, this is Thomas, what can I get you?”

“Hi, Tommy,” Newt said.

“Uh, hi,” Thomas stuttered, confused. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to walk away from you like that, I just had to-”

“Tommy, I’m just letting you know that I plan on coming to the window and kissing you,” Newt interrupted. “Hope that’s alright.” He drove off before Thomas could answer.

Startled, Thomas looked over towards the window, Newt’s car quickly approaching. Thomas took a moment to collect himself before walking to the window and opening it.

“So you’re alright with that?” Newt repeated.

Thomas, dumbfounded, could only nod.

“Cool,” Newt said.

Suddenly, Newt was climbing out of his seat, half out of the window. He cupped Thomas’ jaw gently and pulled him in, Thomas leaning out the window slightly as Newt kissed him. He tasted, unsurprisingly, like their shitty fast food coffee. But Thomas wouldn’t have traded it for anything.

They kissed for a few more moments, Thomas holding his hand along Newt’s neck. He could feel the headlights of another car hit his face as someone approached in line. He must have ignored someone on the headset, and he continued to ignore them now.

Thomas imagined all of the ways he might get in trouble for that, and smiled against Newt’s mouth. It was the best kind of trouble.


End file.
